Fruit-picking mitten



May ,1926.

A. W. HERRICK FRUIT PICKING MITTEN Filed Sept. 16, 1925 ZCQZ VEgTOR, 10?; EYS.

Patented May 4, 1926.

ARTHUR W. HERRICK, OF BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN.

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Application filed September 16, 1925. Serial No. 56,702.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, ARTHUR W. HERRICK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Battle Creek,'in the county of Calhoun and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fruit- Picking Mittens, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to fruit-picking mittens in which holes are formed for the thumb and index finger whereby'they may have free and unrestricted movement, and a fruit-receiving sack secured along its mouth edge to said mitten from the thumb-hole to a point slightly beyond the base of the fingers, its bottom dropping below the hand and its mouth opening being formed about a stiffening band of metal secured within the neck of said sack.

An object of the invention is to provide an article of the nature whereby the picking of small fruits with a minimum of effort may be greatly facilitated; whereby both hands may be used in picking and placing small fruits in the sack of the mitten; whereby a portable, measuring or other box or con-' tainer may be inserted into the sack from its bottom and be readily removed or replaced as occasion may require; and whereby the mitten may be economically manufactured and marketed at a remunerative liitlle.

I am aware that fruit-picking mittens with sacks have been manufactured, said sacks having a mouth-opening in which hinged cutting blades are placed for severing the stems of fruit intended to be dropped into the sack, but the usefulness of a mitten of this nature is limited to the handon which it is worn, owing to the danger to the other hand from the knives when placing fruit into the mouth of said sack. My invention overcomes the objectionable feature mentioned and provides a fruit-pick ing mitten simple in its make-up, and capable of being folded into small space. The foregoing and other features'of noveltv and usefulness will be readily comprehended from the following description, taken in connection with the drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved fruit-picking mitten (partially in section) as worn on. the left hand, and shows a fruit or perry box inserted from the bottom 'of the sac I.

-Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a mitten with its sack spread open at the bottom for the insertion of a berry box.

Flg. 3 1s a perspective view of a fruitpicking mitten with itssack closed at the botto In the drawings, like marks of reference refer to corresponding parts in the different views, in which A represents a hand; B, a

mitten in which an opening 1 is provided through which the thumb may project and an opening 2 through which the index finger may be thrust; and G is a sack made from some pliable fabric or material suitable for the purpose.

The mitten preferably is formed in the usual manner, except that an opening is provided for the thumb and index finger, and with the opening of the sack arranged forward of and below the thumb and approximately on a line slightly below the index finger, the picking of berries, cherries, etc., and dropping them into the sack may be accomplished easily and swiftly.

As shown, the sack C is sewed along its upper ed e on one side to the palm portion of the mitten from the base of the thumb along a line near the upper edge of the sec-- ond finger. That the intake opening of the sack may be free for the reception of berries and the like, a spring metal band 3 is sewed or otherwise fastened in its mar inal edge. This band maybe a ring or an el ipse as preferred, and owing to its curved nature by slightly drawing the fingers up the opening of the sack will be thrust upwardly to facilitate the placing of fruit in the sack.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a fruit-picking mitten having a sack with an open bottom and carrying a small box or container D inserted for the holding of fruit when dropped into the sack.

To facilitate the holding of the box'D within the sack C, and also to readily permit said box to be removed, I provide a strap 4, one end of which is made fast to the sack near its bottom edge and the other end is brought under the box when thrust up into the sack and made fast on the opposite side of said sack by a. button or snap fastener 5 adapted to engage a co-opera-tlng part, as 6, attached to said sack, as shown.

A mitten of the character set forth provides a very effective and speedy means for collecting small fruit, savcs much time and shows the exact quantity of fruit collected.

Having set forth my invention, what I claim as no and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

.1. In an article of the class set forth, the combination with a mitten of an attached open-n'iouthed flexiblesack depending from the hand side thereof, said sack being open at its bottom end and carrying a strap attached at one end near the lower end of said sack the other end of said strap adapted to be caught by a button or equivalent'means secured. to an opposite side of said sack, whereby a box or receptacle may be inserted into the bottom end of said sack and detachably retained, for the purpose set forth.

2. In an article of the class set forth, the combination of a mitten with a sack depending from the inner hand portion thereof and formed with a stifi'ening rim at its mouth openingopposite to that portion not at-- tached to said hand portion, said sack having an open bottom with an extension at one side thereof and means at the opposite side of said bottom for engaging said extension for detachably opening and closing said bottom.

ARTHUR W. HERRICK. 

